On a scale of one to ten I'm a twelve in respect of my level of preparedness in many aspects. Overall though, I'd have to rank myself at a hard eight pushing to nine. Being prepared for everything isn't possible - something is always going to come out of the blue - covering every single possibility is not a possibility.
Knowing first aid, financial planning, household fire evacuation plans and fire extinguishers, insurances, situational awareness, self and home defence, having a go-bag ready, knowing where the exits are, protecting passwords and crypto keys, understanding and mitigating threats, preparing for a date-night, educating one's children...the list is endless...all are being prepared. Generally, preparedness is reasonably easy to do and not all that costly either...so being prepared is achievable for everyone.
The expected and being ready
The expected is a mindset a person has, an understanding.
Things go wrong every day and in many different ways. I don't just mean volcanoes erupting, tsunamis, cyclones and floods, earthquakes, wars, assaults, rapes, murders, vehicle accidents, hold-ups, home invasions, riots and civil unrest, house fires, loss of electricity, neighbours who don't bring your lawn mower or power tools back and so on...I mean everything that might possibly go wrong. Cutting oneself when chopping carrots in the kitchen, partners walking out or having affairs, getting fired, flat tyres, losing wallets and purses, no toilet paper at the supermarket, bad hair cuts, failing to get a hard-on when one is required...There is an endless list of things that can go wrong in a human's life.
So the mindset, the understanding, is that one should expect things to go wrong because they will. It is inevitable. Planning and preparing for it is being ready. Sure, it may not stop the situation from occurring, but it may lessen the chance of it and reduce the impact or ramifications.
As I said above, I'm very prepared for so many scenarios and situations and there's no secret to it; I just think about what's possible, what could happen, and expect it to happen. That way, I can move through to risk-assessment and mitigation strategies and techniques resulting in a better level of preparation and increased confidence and self-reliance.
But something is always going to come out of the blue.
The unexpected expected thing
On Friday afternoon I took a phone call telling me there was something wrong with the automatic roller door to the side-road carport at my other house, meaning not the one I live in. Apparently, someone had hit it with a car. I went to look.
I found that no car was involved at all. It was clear a person, (I think persons) had attempted to prise the door with pry-bars or crowbars and gain access to the back yard of the house. The door had been torn off its side track-rails and was mangled. Fortunately, they couldn't get it open far enough to gain access and a thorough look around the property, inside and out, revealed nothing amiss, nor forced house-entry, loss or damage...except to the roller door which is totally fucked.
I reported the attempted break-in at the police station, (a whole story in itself and a total what the bloody fuck moment #WTBF), to get a report number for my insurance company and after a call to them a claim is in play. The door will cost around $1,800 to replace (door, track-rails and motor) and it'll be good as new...until next time.
I use this property, a residential house, for storage.
I keep my off-road camper trailer and box trailer there, kayaks, some tools and other various equipment, most of my big Lego builds and so on inside the house and in a couple garages on the property - a lot of stuff I don't want to lose. Of course I have some risk-mitigation measures in place, but could I ever be prepared for every threat? No, I cannot. All I can do is prepare as best I can and be insured for any loss; not a great level of preparedness, but it's something.
The insurance company will pay for the door and motor replacement, and should I have lost my camper trailer or anything else, they wold pay out for that also. They also sent a crew out to do a make-safe repair as the door was so damaged and the property was not secure. I met them there Friday night around 9pm and before long it was done. The door was battered back into as close to a closed condition as possible and 2x4 lengths of timber were tek-screwed into place from the inside to prevent possible ingress. If the would-be thieves want in, they'd need a fucken M1 Abrams tank.
Something is always going to go wrong in life; the break-in attempt even went wrong for those assholes who fucked up my roller door. It would have gone even more wrong for them had I been waiting on the other side of the door too...I wonder if they prepared for that eventuality? Having the understanding that things will inevitably go wrong keeps me a little more ready for when it does, it's a state of being that I prefer and actively work towards.
What about you folks? Do you put any thought into what may go wrong, the risks that exist around you, and what methods or strategies you could employ to mitigate them?
Do you even feel the need to do so or are you one of those people who believe someone else will come along to help? (I call those people potential victims). I don't know what the police response-time is in your location but here, if I was home-invaded and managed to call the police as the invasion was happening, it'd be over before they got here and I'd be dead, or those that entered would be. I get it though, for some, it's easier to delude oneself that nothing will go wrong or if it does, someone will be there to solve the problem. In reality...well, what do you think? Feel free to comment below.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
The images in this post were taken by me.
Ah yes. One of those things I believe everyone needs to prep against. People often think it won't happen to them, but nearly everyone I know has had it happen to them at least once.
I detest thieves. Not necessarily the ones who hit a bank or gov agencies, large retailers, etc. but the ones that target people. While I know those other things have a downstream effect on individuals, it's not quite the same as targeting people directly. I suppose plays off the bully theme that I can't stand either..
While most jurisdictions have laws against booby-traps (which would be my preferred method), a good preventative and post-incident measure is installing good security cameras. Not just ones that record to a USB card, or video recorder. I like the ones like Nest Cams that send me a realtime alert, record it directly to the cloud for playback later, can detect if it spotted a person or vehicle, and also have a microphone where I could yell at the bastards and tell them they are on camera and to tell them the police are on the way, and if they leave without damaging/taking anything, I won't give video to the police. (I will anyway, because who honors a promise to a $%^&ing thief?).
It's not so much the value, because generic things can be replaced, although insurance rarely covers all, and seems to always have those deductions and exclusions. It's really that for those personal items, they are stealing a part of ourselves.. the memories of those trips in that camper, the time spent building the legos, sharing them, the time and love put into improving those items, keeping them safe, etc.
My favorite is still the Nest cams for this. Even though their developers completely botched up the best mobile app and web app when Google bought them up. They are almost back on track now with a decent mobile app, and just missing the computer web app to use with the camera's. Maybe not critical for everyone, but I'm at my computer very often, and used to prefer keeping a window open with live feeds of some camera's say if expecting a package or watching the yard cam in evenings for wildlife. Anyway, Really a fan of their garage light, Nice motion sensor with night vision and auto-on light when it detects motion. It works via power when plugged in, and can go for weeks on battery if power is lost (assuming you still have internet). We've got several now, around the garage, driveway, yard for wildlife, and even indoors a few hidden. This way we can check on the dogs, cats when gone as well as detect if intruder actually gets into the house while gone. It's easy to configure those to only record motion/alert when we leave the house (works off of phone location) so it's not tracking us all the time. Then of course some signs up that say it's under video surveillance (even if it's not) are a good deterrent as well. I know some folks have done that even with fake or non-working cameras to help.
I agree with your assessment and thoughts on theives. The problem is that the occurrences will increase with financial pressures, rising cost of living and all.
I've thought about the camera thing although I don't have internet connected at the property. I could get it, but I'd rather not. I was thinking about a few trail cams instead. It's not a deterrent but will give me some footage at least. I'll think on it some more and may put a few under video surveillance signs up and maybe a fake camera or two in the meantime. It could be a good accompaniment for the multiple claymores and VS-50 anti-personnel mines I have deployed around the place.
Yes, I've looked into the trailcams a bit as well. Those can be good options, but require the ones with cell card (and subscription) to get the real-time notifications. Can be worth it if just putting up one or maybe two camera's, else if wanting multiple camera's generally cheaper to just bite the bullet for the internet and wireless cams. Our cell service is still virtually non-existent where we are, so not an option for me.
Going to look into a few options and see what might work. I have a USB internet connection there which my solar system uses to report stats, I may be able to work off that.
Thaaaaz Right...
Get the game cam that does the video clips. We love ours. Critter watch 2022 is ongoing... LoL
And it was surprising to see the neighbor kids walk right up to it and point at it. Smack dab in the center of my fenced property. Trespassers and thieves have No respect for others or self awareness of the danger they put themselves in...
I'm on it...when I get time...Fucken trucking mate. You know how it is.
I am not as prepared for all eventualities as I would like, even when it comes to more probable problems, to say nothing of civil unrest or nuclear war. I am better prepared than most, though, I suppose.
That is the root question supporting "castle doctrine." It is perfectly rational to assume anyone breaking into your home while you are present intends to deal with you, so even lethal force is justifiable when facing intruders. A "duty to retreat" neglects to account for responsibility to protect others, whether legal or moral.
There is much hand-wringing over arrogant, greedy people who value their stuff over the lives of burglars, but why do those burglars value my stuff over their own lives? Why should I assume they value my life and the lives of my family when they already demonstrate so little regard to what I have spent my life trying to earn?
I'm glad your door was sufficient deterrent to whatever scumbag wanted your stuff.
You raise some good points indeed, and I agree. It's not about stuff for me, it's about my life and that of others I'm responsible for. People who do such things, break-ins and home invasions, generally are not the types to have a conscience; if they did, they would not break the law in the first place. I would have no hesitation in responding to any and all threats that present themselves in my home or to my person, or someone with me, if I am outside of it. I am not the victim type.
Its a numbers game. Eventually they're going to jimmy open the wrong window. Then the police will show some interest.
Yep, exactly right...but they'll be more interested in the homeowner and what he did to the criminal probably.
Bingo...
Ding ding ding!
Winner !!
What a shame it is that some people choose to pinch the blood, sweat and tears of others instead of using their own to create a life worth living. Sadly, it will only get worse until the rot that is invading the world gets cut out.
Your preparedness makes me feel inadequate LOL. I have been steadily learning skills and preparing the best I can. Striving every day to learn new bits that will sustain in an emergency and packing away those things that may become unavailable or too expensive to obtain in future.
I agree completely. I've worked hard all my life, been knocked down and got back up more than once; having someone attempt to take what isn't theirs isn't a good feeling and makes me quite angry. I agree with you also, society will get worse, and I'm not sure if enough can be done in the right measure to reverse the slide.
Don't feel inadequate, that you're already working on it means your far more prepared than most; it's a credit to you and it's good to hear. Little by little you'll move it forward, become more prepared and that's how it should be.
Thanks for taking a read and commenting, it's much appreciated.
Wow, I don't understand all the commenting LOL....trying now to delete the multiples. At least I am trying to delete lol...it doesn't seem to let me delete.
Thanks for the kind reply. The preparing can be overwhelming and it is difficult sometimes, not to measure your progress against that of others. Moving it forward is a priority!
Haha, yeah I just thought you liked your comment so much you thought to post it several times. 😂
It's ok, I think there's some sort of glitch going on so don't worry about it, no big deal.
😂 thanks for the pass!
I feel sorry for all that happened. The police in my location are nothing to write home about not to talk of the fire services.
Yes, I put into thought what might go wrong, especially when making choices I weigh the benefits and consequences of my choices before going ahead, and for eventualities, I have this imaginary scenario of what might go wrong in my head. Like getting fire extinguishers handy in case of fire outbreaks, learning to move on after a failed relationship happens, knowing my health can fail me at any time, and preparing for the worst while hoping for the best.And for this question,
One thing that has helped so far is living a simple life, not depending so much on my possessions because they can be lost at any time, and learning to live without so many things that are not necessary though they are luxuries.
Thinking in such a manner has helped me to take life as it comes. If today is fine, I am fine, and if today is filled with troubles I expected it and I will do all I can to help myself.
Though you can never be too prepared least it will save you a lot in preparing your heart to face the ugly events when it arrives.
The other day our house almost went into flames as a result of high voltage from the power supply, I had to be a man for myself, I summoned up the courage and headed to the changeover, disconnected some wires before switching it off, before calling out for help.
If I had run out before doing that, I guess I would have been homeless by now. Because before people will come to my rescue so many things would have gone wrong.
It's really interesting how easily things can go wrong, especially with electrical issues in the home, I think it's one of the major causes of fires. With some care it's not an issue, but problems occur as you have said. I think you're lucky things didn't go badly.
It seems you have a good understanding of preparation and that's good, a little goes a long way.
The guy that does that make-safe job for the insurance company I bet enjoys his job. Seems kind of fun to deal with random off-the-wall problems that are temporary patch jobs rather than the tediousness of constructing something pretty and brand-new. I'm sorry you have had this trouble. There is a sickly-slimy feeling of violation whenever something like that happens.
In the seven days leading up to Friday when he did mine he'd done 70 make-safe's. (We've had storms.) He must earn a packet. Judging by his tools (the quality of them) I'd say a little more than a packet. (I tried to steal some...was unsuccessful.)
It's not something I need right now all things considered, but it's life and I'll roll with it. Yeah, the feeling of having one's space intruded upon isn't nice...I just wish I was there when it was happening...
You are one of those rock personalities, and that is wonderful. Everyone needs a rock in their lives, and how nice to be one so that you don't need one.
I'll take that as the compliment (I think) it was meant to be. Thank you.
Ha, yes, it was a compliment. I had a conversation just tonight with my teenaged niece about rocks. She has a fair amount of anxiety. Somehow the genetics that I got skipped my sister and ended up in my niece. We are very similar. She talked about needing people to help her cope with anxiety, like in a moment of panic how she would seek out a friend to calm her. It is great to have those solid rock people that do not waver in your life, but it is also really important to be sure some part of you is that way too. You can't be sure there will always be a friendly rock around to support you.
I hope your niece can deal with her anxiousness; it's good she has someone to lean on though, a friend to calm her down - I hope she finds it within herself to do that though, moving forward.
It is in deed, solid-rock-people can make a lot of wrong things right for so many...and yes, even rock-people need rock-people sometimes. A rock-person who says he/she doesn't...is lying.
I'm so sorry this happened, it always seems to come when you least expect it though, even if you're prepared for the worst. I am always assuming that something like this will happen because I grew up in a rough neighbourhood where this kind of break-in was rampant (and worst sometimes). I also know that because I have quite a problem with anxiety, I can't let it overwhelm my thoughts because that's a recipe for disaster and being super paranoid about this kind of thing is no way to live.
It's great that you were able to call out the insurance and they got the make safe guys to come patch it up albeit a temporary fix. I hope they can get it sorted relatively quickly for you.
Life happens, it's how it is and how it'll always be.
We'll see more of this sort of thing in society as financial pressures ramp up; people will be jumping fences, stealing garden hoses and pawning them off for a few bucks to buy ICE or whatever they want I guess. I hope, that when they jump the fence here at the house I live at, there's three of them...that way it'll be more fun for me when I go all spider-monkey on them and give them a lesson in courtesy and manners. Lol.
No one can prepare for unknown future.There always be a possibility of things going wrong. Yeah we try to be perfect ,to be prepared for. But life has its own predestined run.It always brings difficulties.
Thank God the thieves were in vain to break your door. The door cost $1800. It is really costly. I hope you got the entire amount back from insurance company.
Yes, so I said.
As I said in the post, the claim is in and they will pay for it in its entirety. (Fifth paragraph down after the garage door image in case you want to read it.)
Aha read it man. But Here in our country the policy maker be very friendly when they make a policy but when it comes to make a payment, there always be hazards. Such as checking value of scrap, checking if it is really accident and lot of other activities for that they could escape it.😂😂They always try finding some faults specially you have little knowledge about the policy.
Insurance companies always like to weasel out of paying out, they do it here too. In this case it's irrefutable and I'll get paid. As it turns out, I already have a claim in for that house due to storm damage incurred two weeks ago. So, they'll fix up both and pay for both.
What a shame it is that some people choose to pinch the blood, sweat and tears of others instead of using their own to create a life worth living. Sadly, it will only get worse until the rot that is invading the world gets cut out.
Your preparedness makes me feel inadequate LOL. I have been steadily learning skills and preparing the best I can. Striving every day to learn new bits that will sustain in an emergency and packing away those things that may become unavailable or too expensive to obtain in future.
What a shame it is that some people choose to pinch the blood, sweat and tears of others instead of using their own to create a life worth living. Sadly, it will only get worse until the rot that is invading the world gets cut out.
Your preparedness makes me feel inadequate LOL. I have been steadily learning skills and preparing the best I can. Striving every day to learn new bits that will sustain in an emergency and packing away those things that may become unavailable or too expensive to obtain in future.
What a shame it is that some people choose to pinch the blood, sweat and tears of others instead of using their own to create a life worth living. Sadly, it will only get worse until the rot that is invading the world gets cut out.
Your preparedness makes me feel inadequate LOL. I have been steadily learning skills and preparing the best I can. Striving every day to learn new bits that will sustain in an emergency and packing away those things that may become unavailable or too expensive to obtain in future.
What a shame it is that some people choose to pinch the blood, sweat and tears of others instead of using their own to create a life worth living. Sadly, it will only get worse until the rot that is invading the world gets cut out.
Your preparedness makes me feel inadequate LOL. I have been steadily learning skills and preparing the best I can. Striving every day to learn new bits that will sustain in an emergency and packing away those things that may become unavailable or too expensive to obtain in future.
What a shame it is that some people choose to pinch the blood, sweat and tears of others instead of using their own to create a life worth living. Sadly, it will only get worse until the rot that is invading the world gets cut out.
Your preparedness makes me feel inadequate LOL. I have been steadily learning skills and preparing the best I can. Striving every day to learn new bits that will sustain in an emergency and packing away those things that may become unavailable or too expensive to obtain in future.
What a shame it is that some people choose to pinch the blood, sweat and tears of others instead of using their own to create a life worth living. Sadly, it will only get worse until the rot that is invading the world gets cut out.
Your preparedness makes me feel inadequate LOL. I have been steadily learning skills and preparing the best I can. Striving every day to learn new bits that will sustain in an emergency and packing away those things that may become unavailable or too expensive to obtain in future.
What a shame it is that some people choose to pinch the blood, sweat and tears of others instead of using their own to create a life worth living. Sadly, it will only get worse until the rot that is invading the world gets cut out.
Your preparedness makes me feel inadequate LOL. I have been steadily learning skills and preparing the best I can. Striving every day to learn new bits that will sustain in an emergency and packing away those things that may become unavailable or too expensive to obtain in future.
What a shame it is that some people choose to pinch the blood, sweat and tears of others instead of using their own to create a life worth living. Sadly, it will only get worse until the rot that is invading the world gets cut out.
Your preparedness makes me feel inadequate LOL. I have been steadily learning skills and preparing the best I can. Striving every day to learn new bits that will sustain in an emergency and packing away those things that may become unavailable or too expensive to obtain in future.
What a shame it is that some people choose to pinch the blood, sweat and tears of others instead of using their own to create a life worth living. Sadly, it will only get worse until the rot that is invading the world gets cut out.
Your preparedness makes me feel inadequate LOL. I have been steadily learning skills and preparing the best I can. Striving every day to learn new bits that will sustain in an emergency and packing away those things that may become unavailable or too expensive to obtain in future.
Hello sir, you are downvoting my post. You can tell me what mistake I have made in the post. You are seeing an error. I apologize for this. And from now on you can improve your post. Please stop downvote. @galenkp
You gonna get video cams?
Sure I can't watch them all the time. But the microphones are so sensitive on the cams. I can here footsteps in the grass when walking past them.
I have 8 total cams counting the 2 ADT and a game cam out back.
Lol...Has one in the bathroom.
No you silly goose.
That is the feral sanctuary shed. But that is a working toilet.
The bedrooms and baths are no cam zones. Everywhere else is covered. From the front Gate, to back one.
🤣🤣
I need to get my shit sorted in the security camera department. It's something I've neglected to be honest.